WaPo/Eugene Robinson: "Bush's Cognitive Dissonance"

[Penndems]

By Eugene Robinson
Friday, July 20, 2007; Page A19

One hopes the leader of the free world hasn't really, truly lost touch with objective reality. But one does have to wonder.

Last week, George W. Bush invited nine conservative pundits to the White House for what amounted to a pep talk, with the president providing the pep. Somehow I was left off the list -- must have been an oversight. But some columnists who attended have been writing about the meeting or describing it to colleagues, and their accounts are downright scary.

National Review's Kate O'Beirne, who joined the presidential chat in the Roosevelt Room, told me that the most striking thing was the president's incongruously sunny demeanor. Bush's approval ratings are well below freezing, the nation is sooooo finished with his foolish and tragic war, many of his remaining allies in Congress have given notice that come September they plan to leave the Decider alone in his private Alamo -- and the president remains optimistic and upbeat.

Bush was "not at all weary or anguished" and in fact was "very energized," wrote Michael Barone of U.S. News & World Report. He was "as confident and upbeat as ever," observed Rich Lowry of National Review. "Far from being beleaguered, Bush was assertive and good-humored," according to David Brooks of the New York Times.

Link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/19/AR2007071901957.html

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Excellent editorial, as always, by Mr. Robinson.

[caligirl]

1. Has anyone seen the little silver spoon laying around W's house?

[Penndems]

6. Check on the postings in the "Comments" section for this story

The second one down immediately caught my eye:

"Bush's behavior makes sense when you realize that he has absolutely no belief in, or understanding ofm objective reality. He believes in magic, not science. He truely believes that if he wishes something strongly enough it will happen. The technical name for this kind of person is an "insane idiot". He should not be in charge of anything. Our congress is guilty of enabling him by leaving him in power. He should be relieved of command under the 25th ammendment. There is no way he should have command of the military and have his hand on the nuclear button."

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Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/19/AR2007071901957_Comments.html

[caligirl]

7. Yes a sensible person wrote this, so congress will never listen to it.

[unpossibles]

2. kinda scary

I mean, I know he's "insulated" from the news and reality, but how insulated can he be? And what does it mean? Or maybe it's just a façade since most of his followers still believe the lie too, and he doesn't want them to think he's worried.

[Dhalgren]

3. Man, Captain Over is flying this airplane and he had fish for dinner!

Bush is a madman, but no one will openly admit it outright. He is going to kill us all - and stop calling me Shirley...

[momster]

4. Uppers, anybody?

That was my guess when I read this over breakfast this morning. Nobody can have that much irrational exuberence in the face of unremitted disaster without some kind of pharmaceutical assistance. He's not in a bubble, he's high as a kite.

[Penndems]

5. "He's not in a bubble, he's high as a kite"

Which, in and of itself, should be enough to scare the shit out of most rational, sane Americans.

[uberllama42]

8. Once again, he uses God to justify his absurd policies

Why is it acceptable to say that God told you to do anything? If it's something good like helping the poor or composing a work of art, then "divine inspriation" is a beautiful thing. But when God says you have to drown your children or blow up a building, oh, then you're nuts. Considering all the stories in the Old Testament about God ordering genocide, rape, and infanticide, I don't know why someone who believes in that kind of thing can deny anyone's claim to be divinely inspired, no matter how heinous their criminal activity.

When are we going to do away with this concept of God? It is a clear delusion and an excuse for atrocities.